Hand rail system integrated with a materials conveyor

Abstract

A collapsible hand rail system integrated with a conveyor for conveying materials from ground level to a roof top or to a level higher than ground level including a first and a second hand rail apparatus, one apparatus mountable to a left side of the conveyor and the other apparatus mountable to the right side of the conveyor, a plurality of post mounting brackets mounted in equal numbers to each side of the conveyor, a plurality of vertical support posts rotably connected to the hand rails and rotably anchored at the brackets, a pair of rear post mounting brackets, one at each side of the conveyor, and a pair of rear vertical support posts, one at each side of the conveyor wherein the first and second hand rail apparatus are collapsible from an erected position and erectable from a collapsed position.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED DOCUMENTS[0001]The present invention is a continuation in part (CIP) of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15 / 643,420, entitled “TELESCOPIC MATERIAL CONVEYOR APPARATUS” filed on Jun. 6, 2017.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention is in the field of construction and pertains particularly to methods and apparatus for safely conveying materials to and from a rooftop.2. Discussion of the State of the Art[0003]In the field of construction equipment, more particularly in the roofing industry, roofing materials have traditionally been carried or lifted onto a roof top manually by the workers without any mechanical assistance other than a ladder. This caused injuries to workers.[0004]Another problem in the art is that customers wanted to be able to transfer materials to a least a 50′ foot height and be able to do that in tight and congested areas where their buildings were located. The longest boom the applicant was able to m...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent text describes a collapsible hand rail system that includes a pair of rear vertical support posts and a hand rail apparatus. The vertical support posts are made of two inch round steel tubing with unlocking tabs and gas shocks to offset gravity when manipulated by a user. The hand rails and vertical support posts can be collapsed and extended as needed. The system also includes a hydraulic selector switch to obfuscate the conveyor belt when raised to vertical position. The hand rails and rear posts can be rotated and attached to the inside of the hand rails using axle pin / yoke interfaces. The technical effects of this patent include a collapsible and extendable hand rail system with improved stability and safety.

Problems solved by technology

This caused injuries to workers.

Another problem in the art is that customers wanted to be able to transfer materials to a least a 50′ foot height and be able to do that in tight and congested areas where their buildings were located.

Cranes are very expensive to operate and require a more highly skilled staff to operate as opposed to a conveyor.

The inventors built several 40′ conveyors which had to be mounted on semi trailers which are very hard to maneuver in tight and congested areas and therefore the answer to the problem was not yet addressed.

It is critical that regular maintenance is conducted on a boom assisted conveyor such as the one referenced above due in part to complexity of operation of the hydraulic components and controls for raising lowering and positioning the boom for materials delivery and return from a rooftop.

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